Title: Tokyo Marble Chocolate (東京マーブルチョコレート)
Scrumptious Meter: 4.0 (a heartful delight, leaving you all warm and fuzzy~) [-1 due to something lacking in the development of Chizuru x Yuudai relationship]
Length: 2 OAV episodes, ~28 minutes each

So the fanboys have spoken, now it’s time for a rabid fangirl to speak for this show =D

This is gonna be EPIC, so I hope I won’t bore you to tears, and convince you to watch this show instead. Please bear with me and my review, as this is the first time I actually did something like this. The show just compelled me to, and put the words into my mouth. =3

There are times when all it takes to save a relationship and get it back on track, is one little mishap, an accidental mix-up, which turns out to be nothing else but a blessing in disguise. With fates entwined, the result is the enchanting romance tale of Tokyo Marble Chocolate, a 2-part OAV by Production I.G., released last December.

Tokyo Marble Chocolate tells the tale of the couple Chizuru and Yuudai, both coming from a series of failed relationships. Chizuru, a girl who always ends up with unrequited loves, unable to meet someone who loves her despite her weaknesses and eccentricities. And Yuudai, a guy who constantly lets his cowardice and indecisiveness get the better of him, unable to express how he feels for a girl, unable to say the very words that will reassure her of their love. Until finally, two mangled hearts found solace in each other, but still, trapped in their pent-up frustrations. By the time Yuudai decides to step out of his cowardly shell and tell Chizuru his feelings, she already found the anxiety too much to bear, and plans to put an end to their relationship, which she deems to be yet another unrequited love. Who could’ve thought that a divine donkey intervention was all this couple needed, to unwind the kinks in their relationship, in light of a fateful and magical entanglement.

Having watched this show for the 4th time now (which never fails to bring me to tears (of joy) each time btw), and wouldn’t mind watching it for who knows how many times more, I can say with absolute certainty that this is the best OAV I’ve seen in a long time. This is the first time I felt compelled to rewatch an anime, even more so for 4 times! It’s a wonderfully crafted OAV, joining the ranks of the great movies of 2007, Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo and Byousoku 5cm. But as a sucker for sappy, happy and fateful romance stories, TMC carves its way deeper into my heart, compared to the aforementioned movies.

What first drew me into this anime is its 2-part, dual POV nature, featuring both the guy and the girl’s point of views. This made wonders for the show, as we get to see their introspections, allowing us to realize the complexities and struggles they have, as well as the true desires of their heart, hidden behind the façade of their expressions and actions. This, together with the pastel feel of the artwork makes it reminiscent of H&C.

What amazed me more about this OAV is how it managed to do so much with just the span of 30 minutes (x2). Despite its brevity, it managed to flesh out the characters and their feelings, all portrayed to be vivid and real. We need not see how Chizuru and Yuudai’s relationship came about, to know the love they have for each other, the bond these kindred souls share. And by the end of the OAV, even if Yuudai wasn’t able to outright say those three words Chizuru longed to hear, he already made his love for her crystal-clear with all that he’s done. Chizuru herself was able to realize that, especially how he overcame his fears, in order to save her that one time.

I also have another take on this, some symbolism I found regarding the gift and the ending, which I’ll be enclosing in spoilers just in case.

Show ▼

EDIT:
Just to add some more insights to this post of mine, which I forgot to include earlier.
Yuudai’s difficulty to say “I love you” simply shows sincerity in his love. Unlike other people who can say those words lightly, but void of any meaning, depth, and real emotions of love, Yuudai needs to gather up a whole lot of courage to be able to say those words. The moment he was able to say that (though not directly to Chizuru), it was really from the bottom of his heart

Unlike your typical melodrama romance fare, Tokyo Marble Chocolate doesn’t waste time dragging the show with so-called “plot devices”. It allowed things to happen, just as planned, as though crafted by the hands of the Great Creator Himself. The donkey became the main compass for this fate, which finally brought Chizuru and Yuudai together in the end. “Everything happens for a purpose”, is what I found to be its underlying theme, amidst the romance. The mishaps, the accidents, the seemingly random events, especially the mini-donkey, all turned out to be purposeful. They were all part of this marble of fate. That’s how it managed to become short and sweet, impressive, memorable, and simply… magical.

Both the sounds and the visuals of Tokyo Marble Chocolate are great, as expected from Production I.G., who never ceases to amaze me with the amount of sheer quality they put into their works. From the serious romantic moments, to the whimsical and comedic antics, thanks to the mini-donkey Guardian of Love, the main comical relief of the show, the sounds and visuals further accentuate these moods for a more lustrous portrayal, while maintaining its touch of simplicity and realism. The two ending songs, from which both the OAV was inspired from, were the perfect embodiment of Chizuru and Yuudai’s feelings, the past struggles they’ve had, the stir of emotions in them throughout the show. Call me emo, but the more I got absorbed into the song and its lyrics, and reminisce what the characters went through, the more I feel like crying.

Who would’ve thought I’d find this weird donkey real cute and moe~

Other people, especially those who aren’t keen of old-school manga-esque art might find the character designs a little quirky, and might take some time before they get used to it. But please, don’t drop watching this show with simply that as a basis. Heck, even the donkey whom I initially found to be bizarre and hideous creature turned out all cute and sweet (now I want a plushie!), after I got to watch the entirety of this show. Instead of finding the artwork odd, I found it incredible and unique. It’s as if I was watching an anime which sprung out directly from a shoujo manga. This is probably why I’m all the more excited for the manga adaptation coming out this February ^-^

Random Observations

I’m not sure if this is a common practice in movies or OVAs, but I just noticed how the staff who worked on this came from different studios, one of which is the abonimable GONZO lol. Other ones include Delta Peak Production, Bee Train, Yumeta Company (who worked on Corda, and now the upcoming Neo Angelique), Studio Live, Studio Cockpit, Trans Arts, etc.

Afterthoughts and Ponderings (Tokyo Marble Chocolate ‘Aftermath’)

It’s saddening that not all people could love TMC, but what can I do?

If you haven’t noticed by now, I loved this show sooo much. So much that I already ordered the DVDs, as well as the upcoming manga. I’ve been pimping it to my friends and colleagues, wanting share the Tokyo Marble Chocolate experience with them. But sadly, I have yet to meet someone IRL who will share the same love for this show. Though they did find it a nice / cute watch.

This actually got me thinking, why other people didn’t seem to be as delighted as I was when I watched it; why they weren’t as indulged in the sweet intoxication that Tokyo Marble Chocolate offered, the way I did. I find this similar to what hayase felt, in her H&C recommendations to people.

To each his own, is most likely the best explanation for this. You can’t expect everyone to feel the same way you do, with the variety of tastes, disparity of prejudices, values and beliefs that people have, and the “been there, watched that” mentality. I also think it takes a great deal of immersion, to be able to appreciate a show for all its worth, investing both time, and your feelings, as you watch it. This is also the most plausible reason I find, for not fully enjoying H&C, unlike most fanboys and fangirls out there. I know it’s a great anime, but not the gushing fangirly giggly kind of awesomeness worship, unlike what you probably see in this TMC post of mine.

This finally brings me to my point, or rather, a disclaimer of some sort, regarding Tokyo Marble Chocolate. Despite all the fangirling praises I gave it in this review, these are all from my point of view, its impact in me, so please do not set your expectations bar too high, or you might end up disappointed. As I’ve also learned from my TMC pimping, other people might not find it as enthralling as I did (though I think this is the case with most editorial reviews, right?). But of course I still hope you find it in your heart to love the show :3

I do however, have some “tips” on how you can enjoy watching TMC better, which I’ll be delving into in another post. For now, I just like to advice everyone who’s interest got piqued, to watch the guy side first.